Non-spilling device

ABSTRACT

A vacuum creating member adapted to be placed in an open top container, creating a vacuum when the container is substantially filled with fluid. This member has a vacuum forming compartment facing downwards. There is little obstruction to drinking from the vessel with the vacuum forming member therein. The vacuum forming member may be integral with the vessel or it may be separate and applied thereto by any means, e.g., snap-on, friction, etc.

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,920,146

Baller Nov. 18, 1975 1 NON-SPILLING DEVICE 3,797,696 3/1974 Dibrell 220/904 Inventor: Albert H. Bauer, 59 Bgech 3,806,023 4/1974 Barnett 220/904 X Clinton, Mass. 01510 Primary Exam1nerW1ll1am I. Price [22] Flled: May 1973 Assistant ExaminerStephen P. Garbe 2 1 App] 3 5 Attorney, Agent, or FirmCharles R. Fay

[52 U.S. c1. 220/90.4 7] ABSTRA T [51] Int. C1. A47G 19/22 A vacuum creatin g member adapted to be placed in [58] Field of Search 220/904, 902, 90.6, 216, an Open top Container, Creating a vacuum when the 220/227 container is substantially filled with fluid. This member has a vacuum forming compartment facing down- [56] References C'ted wards. There is little obstruction to drinking from the UNITED S S PATENTS vessel with the vacuum forming member therein. The 1,739,627 12/1929 Austin 220/904 vacuum forming member may beintegral with the ves- 2,362,354 11/1944 Clovis 220/904 sel or it may be separate and applied thereto by any 2,428,056 9/1947 Wachsman... 220/904 means, e.g., snap-on, friction, etc. 3,313,447 4/1967 Spencer 220/904 3,360,160 12/1967 Spencer 220/904 8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheetl0f3 3,920,146

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet20f3 3,920,146

FIG. 9

FIG. IO

FIG.

US. Patent N0V.18,1975 Sheet30f3 3,920,146

FIG.

NON-SPILLING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OFYITI-IE INVENTION The present invention overcomes this difficulty without the use of a lid for ,the drinking cup or other container and without any substantial obstacle to drinking or pouring therefrom at anytime, and this is done by the provision of a vacuum forming member which is concave on-the bottom,located in the container adjacent the open rim thereof, and attached to the container by any means for instance radial spokes; or the vacuum forming member may be in the form of an inverted trough connected or friction fitted to the side walls of the container at diametrically opposed points. In any event, relatively large openings are left at both sides of the trough and all aroundan alternative central vacuum forming member so that the vessel may be drunk. from without interference, but at the same time the formation of the. vacuum obviates inertia tending to move the fluid upwardly and out of the vessel upon 'a sudden drop of an airplane. The fluid is held by the vacuum in the cup and does not splash out. In most cases a small pinhole is formed in the vacuum forming member so that as fluid is poured into the container to fill it, air within the vacuum forming member at the lower concave side thereof is forced out, and the fluid fills the vacuum forming member thus insuring the provision of a vacuum strong enough to accomplish the results stated. Of course if the vessel falls or tilts over, the fluid will run out, and it is not a consideration of this invention to prevent such spillage, but only to prevent splash due to the inertia of the fluid as described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the drinking or pouring process;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a modification;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vacuum forming member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates a modification;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a further form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows the vacuum forming device of FIGS. 8 and 9 flat;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the vacuum forming device of FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing a modification thereof; and

2 FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the vacuum producing device of FIG. 12. I

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION A con ventional' paper 'or plastic cup 10 is provided with a vacuum forming member 12 which in the case of with upright panels 14, 14. These panels are located at angles with respect to the axis'of the trough and are used for wedging down into the cup to generally secure I the parts together as by friction, but on the other hand the upper edges thereof could be provided with snapon hooks, see 16 in FIG. 5, to snap over the rim of the cup.

The trough 12 leaves relatively large open spaces 18 and 20 for drinking purposes at' both sides of the trough. It will be noted of course that the trough itself has a concave bottom indicated at 22 and normally the vessel will be filled as shown to approximately the line 24 so that the trough 22 is completely filled particularly if the pin hole 26 is present to allow exit of air under fluid pressure as the vessel is filled. i

' FIG. 3 illustrates the act of drinking or pouring the fluid material from the container and in this case the opening at 18 admits atmospheric air so that the barrier 12 is essentially by-passed. The device may be easily drunk from or poured out at either the area 20 or the area at18.'

Tlie modification shown in FIG. 4 has a vessel 10 generally the same as before. In the area of the top of the cup there is provided a hollow hemisphere or dome indicated at 30 having radial arms as at 32, 32 to hold the same to the cup either by frictional meanssuch as panels 14 or by hooks such as shown at 16. However the action is exactly the same as before because a vacuum is produced under the dome preventing the water or fluid from rising relatively to the container 10 as long as the vacuum is in position.

The pin hole 26 and also at 34 is not enough to break the vacuum when called upon to exert a downward force on the fluid which is tending to move upwardly.

In the actual use of the device, the fluid at either side of the trough 12 and all around the dome 30 tends to rise under the circumstances noted, as of a drop of altitude in an airplane, and does rise to a small degree say for instance a quarter of an inch or so but this action tends to suck fluid out of the inside of the trough or the dome so that a very strong vacuum is created which holds the entire body of the fluid against moving upwardly. 7

As shown in FIG. 7 the top of the trough may be provided with elongated barriers such as at 36, 36 and these will tend to restrict the fluid from moving laterally of the vessel if the vessel should be moved laterally. The vacuum producing means i.e., trough 12 or dome 30, does not prevent slop of the fluid over the rim of the vessel with sudden lateral motion, but such lateral motions are extremely infrequent and can be taken care of by means of the barriers 36, 36, shown in FIG. 7, should this be deemed advantageous.

Referring to FIG. 1, the panels 14 may extend generally laterally on curves to conform to the inside of the vessel, and may even extend in a complete annulus for greater frictional holding of the trough, as is indicated in dotted lines at 38. The spokes 32 may also be attached to a like annulus 40.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 11 inclusive, the container is similar to that at 10, e.g., a paper, plastic, glass, or metal cup. The vacuum forming member 40 in this case is a simple inverted trough of paper, board, or plastic which may be inexpensively made by being died or cut out flat in the shape of FIG. 10. The edges 42 are designed to conform to the shown conical inner surface of container 10', and in the semi-folded form of FIG. I1, is merely thrust into the container having a friction lit with the container side wall with the fold at 44 just below the rim of the container, see FIG. 9. This form of The invention comprises a pair of flat barriers 46, 46, comparable to those at 22, but as shown, they extend farther down into the container improving the anti- :splash action both as to the formation of the vacuum as before and providing an adequate friction fit. The usual cap or lid can be applied with the vacuum forming member in place. The clip or snap-on type of connection as at 16, FIGS. 4 and 5, may be used also if desired.

in FIG. 12, the vessel 10 contains a vacuum producing member similar to that at 46 and comprising a pair of generally flat members forming a kind of inverted V as indicated at 50, 50. Each of these members is provided with a transverse outwardly directed ridge 52, 52 without the necessity of increasing the thickness of the material, these ridges merely being stamped out. In addition, ridges 54, 54 are also provided in the same way, these ridges being at right angles to ridges 52.

The ridges 54 have the function of allowing dispensing of the devices when stacked since the ridges 52 would interfere with each other. The ridges 52 increase the non-spilling function because as any fluid current tends to rise, up to ridges 52, the same is directed outwardly toward the wall of the vessel 10", in which case the fluid material above the ridge tends to move in the same direction i.e., downwardly and outwardly rather than upwardly, and this enhances the non-splash effect of the device. The ridges 54 also aid in the reduction of splashing in a sidewise direction i.e., supposing the vessel to be moved parallel to ridges 52, and ridges 54 tend to aid in preventing motion of the fluid in the direction of ridges 52.

I claim:

I. A vessel comprising an open top lidless container and means forming a vacuum in the container when the latter is substantially filled, said means comprising an inverted trough including a pair of barriers diverging downwardly and extending for a major portion of the depth of the vessel.

2. The vessel of claim 1 including means securing the trough at its ends to the container.

3. The vessel of claim 2 wherein the trough is arranged diametrically of the container.

4. The vessel of claim 1 wherein said trough comprises a pair of interconnected substantially flat barriers having opposite end edges separated.

5. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the barriers each include side edges having friction fit with the inside surface of the container.

6. The vessel of claim 5 wherein the side edges of the barriers conform to the inside surface of the container.

7. A vessel comprising an open top lidless container and means forming a vacuum in the container when the latter is substantially filled, said vacuum forming means comprising an inverted trough, the trough being secured at its ends to the container by friction and being arranged diametrically of the container.

8. The vessel of claim 7 wherein the trough is separate from the vessel. 

1. A vessel comprising an open top lidless container and means forming a vacuum in the container when the latter is substantially filled, said means comprising an inverted trough including a pair of barriers diverging downwardly and extending for a major portion of the depth of the vessel.
 2. The vessel of claim 1 including means securing the trough at its ends to the container.
 3. The vessel of claim 2 wherein the trough is arranged diametrically of the container.
 4. The vessel of claim 1 wherein said trough comprises a pair of interconnected substantially flat barriers having opposite end edges separated.
 5. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the barriers each include side edges having friction fit with the inside surface of the container.
 6. The vessel of claim 5 wherein the side edges of the barriers conform to the inside surface of the container.
 7. A vessel comprising an open top lidless container and means forming a vacuum in the container when the latter is substantially filled, said vacuum forming means comprising an inverted trough, the trough being secured at its ends to the container by friction and being arranged diametrically of the container.
 8. The vessel of claim 7 wherein the trough is separate from the vessel. 